Khaddama

Aswathi married Radhakrishnan because he confessed about his premarital life and promised to reform completely. Coming from a lower-middle-class family facing financial pressure, she believed his promise of a fresh start and a comfortable future. However, this hope was short-lived as he died by drowning shortly after their marriage, leaving her widowed and financially strained.

After her husband's death, Aswathi became the sole breadwinner for her family and faced severe financial pressure. With limited opportunities in Pattambi, Kerala, she chose to pursue work in the Persian Gulf where wages were significantly higher. Usman, a village car driver familiar with Gulf work pathways, arranged her visa and facilitated her travel, making Saudi Arabia the apparent solution to her financial crisis.

Usman, who had arranged Aswathi's visa and brought her to Saudi Arabia, abused his position of power by engaging in a sexual affair with an Indonesian maid working in the same household. His inappropriate conduct and exploitation of his authority led to his expulsion from the sponsor's household, leaving Aswathi even more vulnerable in a foreign land.

Despite her own precarious situation, Aswathi helped another maid flee from the sponsor's exploitative environment because she recognized the harsh realities of slave-like labor and abuse that both faced. This act of solidarity demonstrated her courage and moral resolve, though it also escalated her own danger and led to further punishment.

Razak, a migrant social worker in Saudi Arabia, was dedicated to tracing missing Indian workers. As Aswathi disappeared while trying to flee her torment, Razak worked to piece together her fate through his network and investigation. His persistent search eventually led him to locate her, learning the full extent of her suffering before helping her navigate the return journey home.

After enduring further hardship including abuse and punishment for helping another maid escape, Aswathi was ultimately deported back to Kerala. Upon her return, she reconnected with Razak, who had been searching for her throughout her ordeal. With Razak's help, she was able to return home to her family in Kerala and begin rebuilding her life, though the journey had caused tremendous personal cost.

Upon arrival in Saudi Arabia, Aswathi was forced to wear a burqa at all times due to the country's strict dress code that applies to all women. This mandatory dress requirement symbolized the controlled and restrictive environment she would face as a domestic worker, where her freedom was severely limited by both legal and social constraints.

Aswathi became trapped in a sponsor-driven system that commodified domestic labor with virtually no protections for migrant workers. Within this exploitative structure, she endured sexual abuse and physical violence as part of a slave-like routine. The sponsor system gave employers enormous power over domestic workers with minimal accountability, making abuse a common risk for women in her position.

Aswathi's husband Radhakrishnan died by drowning after a short period of happy married life. His death was sudden and unexpected, leaving Aswathi widowed and financially devastated. This tragic event triggered her difficult decision to leave Kerala and seek work abroad as a domestic helper.

Razak Kottekkad worked as a migrant social worker in Saudi Arabia specifically to identify Indian victims who arrived dead at the mortuary without known identities. His job involved tracing their identities, verifying paperwork, and coordinating the return of their bodies to their families in India. This work gave him insight into the human costs of migration and motivated his search for missing workers like Aswathi.